Types of Grinders: Which is better for Chemex?

There are essentially two different types of grinders available on the market. The first is a blade grinder and the second is a burr grinder; both are usually available as manual or electric versions.

The blade grinders are generally the cheaper models, but they provide you with a very uneven grind. These are also smaller, making them great for traveling or an occasional brew.

Burr grinders are more expensive, but you are able to achieve a more uniform grind that is more suitable for filters and pour overs.

Check out this video to see the difference between these two grinders for yourself.

When using your Chemex grinder, you're going to want to use a burr grinder. While a blade grinder is more affordable, it simply can not give you the correct grind that you need for the Chemex filters.

You need the uniform consistency to filter correctly and prevent your brew time from becoming too long.

Remember to aim for four to five minutes of brew time to avoid having coffee that is too bitter.

Other Things to Look For

1. Size of the machine

A Chemex can be difficult to make a single serving size in unless you have a smaller container.

Due to this, it may be best to purchase a couple different sizes of Chemex containers so that you always have one on hand regardless of how many people you are brewing for.

The Chemex comes in three cup, six cup, eight cup, and ten cup models. The smaller models may allow you to use a slightly finer grind, while a larger model is definitely going to require that you use a coarser blend.

2. Electrical versus manual grinder

Unless you have ample amounts of spare time on your hands, you are going to want to opt for an electric burr grinder.

The brew time of the Chemex is already four to five minutes, and having a manual grinder is only going to extend the amount of time you spend making a single cup of coffee.

The manual grinders are also harder to control in terms of speed and getting a consistent grind size.

3. Grind time

As with all coffee grinding, you want to make sure you grind your beans as close to the time you will be using them as possible to give you the freshest tasting coffee.

If this isn't possible, then it's advised to store them in a glass container with an airtight lid, preferably in the refrigerator if possible.

Depending on the type of grinder you purchase, many offer containers and lids included. You are able to grind the beans straight into your container and store it for later use.

These things are some ideas of what you should think about when you decide to purchase a coffee grinder for your beans. Read on to discover the top pick for the best coffee grinder for Chemex.

2: Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder (Our Top Recommended)

The Baratza is a great grinder for a wide variety of coffee lovers. You have access to over 40 different settings, great for medium coarse (Perfect Chemex Ground Size), and speeds at up to 450 RPM.

This allows you to grind according to many different styles while maintaining a quiet motor and overall reduced noise level. The machine does weigh close to ten pounds, making it difficult to move around as often.

The hopper gives you eight ounces of bean space to work with and has a container of five ounces.

5: Breville Smart Grinder Pro

This is a stainless steel design that is made to minimize the heat produced during grind cycles to help provide you with quality grind for brewing the best cup of coffee.

It runs on 165 watts and gives you 60 different settings to choose from. It also offers a timer with 0.2-second increments to give you the precision adjustment.

The Breville smart grinder also has an impressive eighteen-ounce bean capacity.

An additional feature is that this machine has arms which allow you to attach a filter that you can grind directly into.

This machine offers all these options and still only weighs in at just over six pounds.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several options to consider when choosing the best coffee grinder for Chemex brewing machines.

Some of the main things to pay attention to in your search include the grind size and the container options from the grinder.

From this list, I think the clear winner is the Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder. This machine is great because it comes in 40 different settings, great for any size of grounds, Of course including medium coarse grind.